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Collective for Economic Democratisation

By Ahilan Kadirgamar, Lakmali Hemachandra, Mahendran Thiruvarangan, Niyanthini Kadirgamar and Swasthika Arulingam on behalf of the Collective for Economic Democratisation

The current process of constitutional reform has given much needed importance to concerns such as structures of the State, rule of law, separation of powers and power sharing arrangements. However, such an approach to Constitution-making has ignored a major concern for the people, of economic depravity and harm caused by development projects.

At a recent seminar on the Hartal of 1953 and its legacy there was engaging debate and discussion on several themes relevant to the political economy of post-war Sri Lanka. Furthermore, the discussion addressed alternative forms of political engagement, including the importance of environmental issues and the recent history of trade union actions.

Contrary to the claims of the present regime, its urban development agenda is neither autonomous nor a product of indigenous thinking, rather it follows the well trodden though hazardous path carved out by powerful global financial interests and institutions.

Colombo’s urban development is driven by the idea of transforming it into a "world-class city" and a "preferred destination for international business and tourism", according to the Secretary, Defence and Urban Development.

We welcome reflections on any of the editorials and articles on our website as well as related issues. Reflections are moderated by the Collective and should be between 300 and 1,200 words. You can submit your reflections through the Contact page or by emailing: economic [dot] democratisation [at] gmail [dot] com.